LEGO wheelchair to make its debut at GWLS

You wouldn't think it would be possible to make something out of LEGO capable of moving a person, would you? Well, that's exactly what Simon Burfield has built, after a bet with a friend who said it couldn't be done.

He's built a LEGO wheelchair capable of moving a 90Kg human being, shown here with his wife Steph seated on it (who, I hasten to add, weighs nowhere near 90Kg!). It will be making its first public appearance at GWLS.

"I am really chuffed, I am glad it worked. There has been attempts, but nobody has actually managed to move a human being before." said Simon. "Nobody has done it, I am the first person to be able to do it, and that is really cool. I am genuinely really, really happy with how this has gone."

It's built from around 6000 Technic and Mindstorms parts, including 6 NXT microprocessor units, 12 motors and 12 wheels made by Australian company Rotacaster, a specialist in multi-directional wheels, which are the only non-LEGO components in it.

Check out this video on YouTube to see it in action with Steph at the controls. You can also find more pictures and information on Simon's blog, articles in the Daily Mail and Get Hampshire, and on the LEGO Mindstorms site.

Knowing Simon, I suspect he'll be offering you the opportunity to ride on it at the show!